


Pebbles from a Named Tree.

by BornofFlame



Series: Among Gods and Mortals. [13]
Category: Percy Jackson and the Olympians - Rick Riordan, Sanders Sides (Web Series)
Genre: Assumed Character Death, Depressed Roman, Italian!Remy, Italian!Virgil, Rachel mentioned - Freeform, hes sad because he can't tell anyone that Virgil's alive, remy is virgil's cousin, talking to a grave
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-02-05
Updated: 2021-02-05
Packaged: 2021-03-16 22:07:56
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,012
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/29214654
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/BornofFlame/pseuds/BornofFlame
Summary: Roman goes to a funeral.
Relationships: None
Series: Among Gods and Mortals. [13]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/2099127
Comments: 3
Kudos: 12





	Pebbles from a Named Tree.

**Author's Note:**

  * For [FireTigeress86](https://archiveofourown.org/users/FireTigeress86/gifts).



> there are four more works in the series.  
> enjoy.

Roman hated wearing black. It just seemed too… depressing.

Although he guessed that it made sense, since currently he and his family were in a small Italian town outside of Milan, where the De Rossi family had cremated and stored their family for generations.

So yeah, wearing black at a funeral for his dead boyfriend made sense. The funeral itself had been long, and in Italian, so he wasn’t even sure about what they had even said about Virgil, but by the wailing of his grandmother, Roman had to hope that it had at least done the guy justice.

Currently he was standing in front of the mausoleum. Everyone else had gone back to the tiny hotel that the grandma ran and Roman was here, with a small group of wildflowers that he’d picked on his walk over.

“Virgil. Uh, I know you can’t hear this, and you have a small chance of being alive.. but for what it’s worth, I miss you.” Roman looked down and toed at a pebble.

_ Let go when the time comes. _

Roman looked up. Rachel had said that, said that his choice could make or break what happened to them.

He vaguely wondered if it was something he said. Roman crouched and set down the flowers at the base of the mausoleum’s steps before straightening.

“You, you told me once. About how Italians had different ways to say I love you.” Roman choked out.

“That family said Ti voglio bene. It was one of the first things you said after we started dating. That Ti voglio bene was for family and good friends.” Roman took a shuddering breath and wiped at his eyes. “You whispered the other way to me after I asked if you’d date me. Ti amo.”

There was a sound of crunching footsteps behind him and Roman ignored it. 

“It makes me wonder how stupid American’s actually are. People throw around I love you’s so often the words feel broken. But I don’t think I ever truly meant it until I said it to you.”

The footsteps stopped. Roman sniffed and wiped at his eyes again.

“I’ll miss you. But I have to listen to what the Oracle told me. I have to let go when the time comes. I don’t think I’ll ever stop loving you Virgil, but… I guess that’s how love works.”

He crouched down again and picked up one of the pebbles. It was a worn grey thing, the exact shade of Virgil’s eyes. It’s ironic, that was the first thing that Roman fell in love with about him. Roman put the pebble into his suit pants pocket.

“Ti amo Virgil De Rossi.”

He turned and immediately ran into someone.

Oh, that must’ve been the person who had walked up while he was giving his goodbye. Roman took a few steps back as the other adjusted the sunglasses he was wearing.

“Come to say goodbye to my baby cousin?”

Roman blinked. “Virgil?”

Sunglasses smirked. “Yeah. Poor Vee.” He extended a hand. “Remelus De Rossi, you can call me Remy.”

Roman shook it. “Uh, Roman.”

“Oh, you were his boyfriend.” Remy took off his sunglasses and smiled in sympathy. “Sorry for your loss.” Roman dimly noted that Remy had a grey eye similar to Virgil’s, the other a deep brown that was almost black.

“You knew him longer, I’m sure.” Roman muttered. Remy spread his hands out and shrugged.

“Virgil vissuto a Roma. I grew up running around Milano. Didn’t see him often.” Remy ran a hand through his hair and sighed. “I just wished that I got to actually say goodbye. My last words to him were not the kindest.”

Roman smiled sadly. “Unfortunately for me as well.”

Remy looked up. “What’d you say?”

“I asked him what he was hiding. Well, actually, it was a strangled yell of his name, but..” Roman felt tears prick at his eyes and he closed them, pushing down the pain. “Damn idiot had to play the hero.”

Remy nodded and sauntered to stand next to him. “He was like that.” He wrapped an arm around Roman and pulled him close in a half hug. “What do you say if I show you the tree we named the first time the two of us visited our Nonna Rossi?”

Roman shrugged. “Sure.”

“Perfecto. I can tell you all of Vee’s embarrassing stories now that he can’t argue with me.” Remy led him away from the mausoleum and Roman let the tension drain out of his shoulders as Remy guided him.

_ Let go when the time comes. _

Wise words.

Roman knew that he wouldn’t ever truly let go completely, a part of him would always hope that Virgil would return.

But the more sensible part of let Remy slip his hand into his and guide him towards a future.

Remus was right to a fault. You always end up giving your whole soul to the first person that you fall in love with, whether it’s a snarky Italian pulling his laundry off of wires before guiding you through weaving streets, or whether it's a simple kiss under a named tree two years after you mourn the death of a friend.

And maybe he wouldn’t fall for Remy for another year or two. For now, the two of them just walked and mourned a soul that was lost, someone who walked along multiple realities.

He’d tell him eventually, Roman knew that out of all of Virgil’s relatives, this cousin would be the only one to believe him.

Maybe that’s why he didn’t tell anyone at first. Maybe that’s why he had to hold onto the hurt for so long, because he was the only one who really understood.

…

“And this is Tiglio! Vee named it that and I had to tell him that there was a tree species with that name, but _noo_ , little cousin had to argue that it had to be its name, even though it’s just a tree.” Remy grinned at the memory. “It’s a good name though.”

Roman smiled softly. “It is.”

**Author's Note:**

> next up is logan and patton. We're kinda tying up some loose plot threads before the finale. kudos and comments are appreicated.


End file.
